Favorite Daughter, eos and Sol de Janeiro are 2026 Future Leader Awards finalists

Awards // April 21, 2026 Favorite Daughter, eos and Sol de Janeiro are 2026 Future Leader Awards finalists By Modern Retail Awards The Future Leader Awards, presented by Digiday, Glossy and Modern Retail, recognize the next generation of leaders making a significant impact in their industry, with 10 years of experience or less.

This year’s finalists demonstrate how growth is driven by leaders who pair sharp cultural awareness with disciplined execution. They identify new opportunities, expand into emerging spaces, collaborate across teams and partners, and translate trends into tangible business outcomes.

Each finalist reflects a new standard of leadership defined by adaptability to turn cultural momentum into sustained growth. Rising Product Leader finalist Morgan Rabin has grown alongside Favorite Daughter since joining as a college intern, playing a central role in shaping one of the brand’s fastest-growing business lines.

She launched the accessories category and developed it into a meaningful revenue driver, introducing best-selling belts and a sold-out triangle knit scarf while helping expand into footwear.

Deeply involved from concept to final execution, Rabin ensures each product aligns with the vision of co-founders Erin and Sara Foster while remaining commercially viable. Rabin’s impact extends beyond product, reflecting her ability to connect strategy with execution across design, sourcing, merchandising and marketing.

Nominees in the Rising Influencer Marketing Leader category include Alexis Martin of eos Products. As creator marketing manager at eos, Martin operates at the intersection of creators, culture and community, building partnerships that prioritize authenticity and long-term value.

She collaborates with talent across all tiers, fostering relationships that extend beyond transactional campaigns and align closely with the brand’s identity.

Since joining eos in October 2024, she has quickly established herself as a high-impact contributor, strengthening the operational foundation of creator marketing through revamped campaign templates, improved workflows and more effective briefing processes.

In the Rising PR Leader category, finalists include Bridget Betances, senior manager of global and Americas public relations at Sol de Janeiro. She leads communications across innovation, campaigns and partnerships, aligning global priorities with regional nuance while consistently securing high-impact media and industry attention.

In 2025, Betances played a central role in expanding Sol de Janeiro across more than 50 markets, leading PR for campaigns that blended cultural relevance with measurable impact. She drove the Body Badalada launch into a cultural movement and helped secure major moments across Coachella, the Las Vegas Sphere and the Met Gala.

These rising talents are setting new standards for what leadership looks like today. See the complete list of finalists below.

Rising Agency Leader Raquelle Kleiman – January Digital Caroline Mandel – FTI Consulting William Lapointe – Pathlabs Barbara Rego – Majority Gretchen Gerlach – Laughlin Constable Zach Gad – The Unquantifiable Jessica Huang – Herman-Scheer Rising AI Leader – NEW Zuny Fester – JustPaid Anushka Salinas – Nanit Elizabeth Opp – Madhive Johnny Rohrbach – SILVERSIDE Rising Audio Leader – NEW Emily Dyer – Macmillan Publishers Rising Brand Leader Bailey Leffler – Purdue Brand Studio Manjunath Venkatram – ThoughtData Alessandro Fontana – January Digital Helin Tu – EssilorLuxottica Rising Content Marketing Leader – NEW Emily Duncan – tvScientific Katie Zaro – eos Products Rising Creator – NEW Kiana Davis – The Sociable Society Malachi Mitchell – The Sociable Society Rising Design/Creative Leader – NEW Johanna Ketterle – Oak Essentials Brenna Cunningham – The Unquantifiable Anna Weddle – Hook Caleb McMullen & Hussein Rumaithi – McKinney Song Yoon – MobileFuse Rising E-commerce Leader – NEW Jordan Harper – Barefaced Rising Finance Leader – NEW Stephanie Porter – Hook Rachel Villalobos – Spaceback James Marrero – Playfly Sports Danielle Lauzon – Fintel Connect Rising Founder – NEW Andi Cross – Edges of Earth Kristie D’Ambrosio-Correll – Dacora Motors Tejas Manohar – Hightouch Jordan Banafsheha – icepop Isan Elba – Beauty Access/Beauty Forward Aerin Glazer – Tilt Beauty Rising Influencer Marketing Leader – NEW Olivia Meitz – Skirt PR James Reid – Collectively Ted Raad – Trend Companies Griffin Haddrill – Mirage Digital Ellen Hawkins – #paid Alexis Martin – eos Products Rising Innovator – NEW Brian Carpenter – DECIEM Lauren Vesler – Goddess Maintenance C